Oil ~ Oil Everywhere!

Our main reason for being in Midland is spending time with our daughter, her husband Eric and our sweet granddaughters.... They moved to Midland because our son-in-law, Eric, is in the oil industry. Not to mention between Odessa & Midland there are thousands of Jack Pumps everywhere.   So it seemed fitting for us to visit the The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.

Alyssah & Eric

The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum is a museum with exhibits relating to the oil and gas industry of the Permian Basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico. Museum exhibits include the geology of the area during the Permian period, racing cars designed by Jim Hall, and paintings by artist Tom Lovell. 

It maintains a research library containing donated material related to the history of the Permian Basin oil industry. It also has a hall of fame, whose many inductees include the Odessa oil industrialist Bill Noël and the Bush family (both George's)

The Petroleum Museum is a wide-ranging journey through the history of the petroleum industry, so important to Midland, the Permian Basin and West Texas. The museum includes a Petroleum Hall of Fame, honoring oilmen (and women) who made outstanding contributions to the industry; and an archives and library that houses documents, photos, recordings, maps and films relating to the history of the oil industry.

But the main part of the museum has many exhibits that trace the history of the petroleum industry and the role it has played in the life of the Permian Basin. Many of those exhibits are interactive, such as one that recreates a natural gas explosion. There are also ancient artifacts that trace the natural processes that create oil back 500 million years. And there are plenty of artifacts on display, such as antique oil field equipment.

The visit to The Petroleum Museum was an amazing journey through over 230 million years of history.  We had a great time visiting it ~ and of course spending time with our family.  Thanks for following ♥

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Midland Texas ~ Who'd a thunk!!!!

We have been here in Midland/Odessa area for almost 2 weeks to visit our daughter and her family.  That is just about the only reason to come here unless you are looking for work.  There is plenty of jobs here and the unemployment rate is at about 3%.  Mostly it is oil field workers and anything associated with that.  And that is why my daughter is here because her husband is in the oil business.  They try to make this a pleasant enough place, tons of stores, restaurants and some attractions but the landscape is dirty, the wind blows a lot of dust around and it is HOT!... not to mention the water is not fit to drink.  Most everyone has to buy bottled water.  So why am I here ~ Family which is so very important to us...

Yummo ~ Mexican

When we got here we just had to go get some of that great Tex Mex food which I love so dearly so out we headed out with our girls to Jorges' Mexican Restaurant for some very yummy food...  After last years eat fest from Florida to Nova Scotia, 2 bad knee replacement surgeries (which kept me from exercising) and a years hard work taking off the weight and getting healthy it was my first Mexican food in a long long time... but oh it was so worth it ~ YUMMOLICIOUS♥  We really didn't go crazy but we did have some delicious food....

We also celebrated my honey's birthday on the 24th.... With friends & family we went out to eat at a GREAT Chinese Buffet (his favorite food) and to work off some of the calories we went bowling after.  What fun we had ~ we haven't bowled in years except for WII bowling.  It was a riot trying to remember how to throw the ball with out bouncing it out about 10 feet onto the lane... soon around the 3rd game we finally started to play better.  This is something we both hope to do more often. (You know how I love showing you food... tee hee)

 

We had the pleasure of attending our oldest grand daughters, Hannah, Spring Concert at the Robert E.Lee High School in Midland.  She is a drummer in the band and it was fun to see all the kids playing so beautifully.  The best part was when all the grades got together and played the school song "Dixie for the graduating seniors.  Funny but when I was in High School at Dixie Hollins in Florida ~ that was our school song too... brought  back so many memories.

So mostly we have been spending a lot of quality time together with our little ones and enjoying every minute of it. Going to try and start seeing some of the attractions in this area this next week!

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A Rabbit in the Bush????

We tried to see as much as we could find in Midland while visiting our daughter & her family.... we were surprised at some of our finds.  The first was George W. Bush childhood home... we stopped and visited this home but didn't get a chance to see The Presidential Museum in the Midland/Odessa area -  We found it amusing that the house was also occupied George H. Bush, Jeb Bush & Barbara and thought that it should be just called Bush Presidential Home.

Bush's Boyhood Home

George W. Bush Childhood Home is a historic house that was home to former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush from 1951 to 1955. It is located at 1412 W. Ohio Ave. in Midland, Texas. The home was built in 1940 and was purchased by the Bush family in 1951 for $9,000. They lived in the 1,400-square-foot home until late 1955. It was also the earliest childhood home of Governor Jeb Bush. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Information Signs & Childhood photos

We also went out to find the "World's Largest Jackrabbit" which is mentioned in Roadside America.

Built in 1962, the eight-foot-tall rabbit was the idea of Odessa Chamber of Commerce president John Ben Shepperd, hence the rabbit's official name of "Jack Ben Rabbit." It was Shepperd's way to pay tribute to the city's unique jackrabbit roping competition, held every year during the Odessa Rodeo. The competition ended in 1978, when The Humane Society shut it down for good.

The jackrabbit was displayed for years at the old Prairie Pete Park, then moved into storage in a maintenance yard -- until the public raised a fuss and forced it to be returned to a new location, in front of the downtown Ector County Independent School District Administration Building. Someone tried to steal the jackrabbit in 1997, so it's been bolted to the sidewalk ever since.

Several official Texas historical markers flank the rabbit, including one with a recipe for Jackrabbit and Dumplings. Click on pictures to enlarge.  Still way behind on my post but will try to catch up soon.  Thanks for following ♥

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Trekking Through Texas

Day 5 of our trip had us driving through Louisiana & Texas. We had one small rain shower that was just enough to get road dirt on Tassie & Silvie ~ After Ralph spent 2 days washing & waxing them... lol  When we went through Shreveport on I-20 we were just behind a small tornado that turned over several travel trailers at a dealer, many trees knocked down and bent many interstate road signs. I think if I had seen that tornado I would have messed my britches....

Other then that it was a smooth ride and after about 500 miles we started looking for a RV Park for the night.  After checking out our travel books and internet we found a small RV Park in Mingus, Texas.  Cactus Rose RV Park was an easy on and easy off back onto I-20 so we decided that was a pretty good pick... we didn't expect much and was pleasantly surprised to not only meet very friendly owners but a clean well kept park with all that you could want in any campground !  Click here to go to our RV Park review blog.  This park was so restful and nice we decided to stay an extra day and just enjoy it.


Cactus Rose RV Park ~ Mingus, Texas 

Our site at Medessa Oil Patch RV Park

After being well rested up we headed out to Midland, Texas where my youngest daughter & herfamily lives... We'll be staying in this area for about 6 weeks before we continue our journey.  This was only 320 mile day which is really how we like it ~ 350 miles or less on travel days.  The wind of Texas picked up for our ride and pretty much wore Ralph  out and didn't do our gas mileage any good either.  We had a horrible time finding any parks to take us and our first week was at Midessa Oil Patch RV Park.  Click here for our RV Park review... Because there are so many oil workers in this area they fill up the RV parks so what a time we had trying to secure a spot for 5 more weeks after Midessa Oil Patch... we finally found a RV park out in the middle of nowhere filled with oil rig workers but they had one spot left in the back and that is what we took.  Normally I wouldn't stay in a park such as this but we wanted to spend time with Jennifer and the family.  So here we are at Stanley RV Park and all and all we have everything we need. FHU, no trees so great satelite TV, Water and so far very quiet. I think we are the biggest rig here...

Stanley RV Park

So we have already been in the Midland/Odessa area for a week and already have had many adventures ~ It is great visiting with my daughter, SIL, and granddaughters ~ will catch up on the next blog.

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Have Fun & Travel Safe